Computer systems, e.g., desktop computer systems, laptop computer systems, server systems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones, digital music and digital video systems, and the like, have become part of everyday life, and as such, expectations and demands continually increase for improved efficiency and greater speed for manipulating, accessing and storing larger amounts of data.
Many of the above computer systems contain, in part, one or more direct access storage devices (DASD), e.g., a hard disk drive. A hard disk drive may include one or more magnetic hard disk(s) or drive(s) within an outer housing or base containing a spindle motor assembly having a central drive hub that rotates the disk. An actuator assembly includes a plurality of parallel actuator arms in the form of a comb that is movably or pivotally mounted to the base about a pivot assembly. A controller is also mounted to the base for selectively moving the comb of arms relative to the disk.
Each actuator arm has extending from it at least one cantilevered electrical lead suspension. A magnetic read/write transducer or head is mounted on a slider and secured to a flexure that is flexibly mounted to each suspension. The read/write heads magnetically read data from and/or magnetically write data to the disk. The level of integration called the head gimbal assembly (HGA) is the head and the slider, which are mounted on the suspension. The slider is usually bonded to the end of the suspension.
A suspension has a spring-like quality, which biases or presses the air-bearing surface of the slider against the disk to cause the slider to fly at a precise distance from the disk. Movement of the actuator by the controller causes the head gimbal assemblies to move along radial arcs across tracks on the disk until the heads settle on their set target tracks. The head gimbal assemblies operate in and move in unison with one another or use multiple independent actuators wherein the arms can move independently of one another.
During computer system operation, the hard disks are rotated and the actuator arms are positioned such that the read/write heads extending there from are located over specific regions of the hard disk to access the information stored thereon or to store information thereon, thus depleting or drawing power. Hard disk drives of the type described above may be referred to as mechanical data storage devices. Optical and similar storage devices and drives may also be referred to as mechanical data storage devices.
Within most computer systems, heat is generated, in part, by the processor(s). To that extent, a heat sink and/or processor fan are commonly implemented for processor heat dissipation. Further, in computer systems having a DASD, as described above, there is also heat generated, in part, by the hard disk drive during operation, e.g., read and write processes. It is noted that server computer systems are commonly configured with multiple DASDs in which the number of DASDs may range from one to hundreds or more. As such, hard disk drives in server computer systems can generate a significant amount of regional heat during their operation.
Further, current computer systems that include one or more DASDs are configured such that there is consistent operational power being supplied to the DASD. Within portable computers, e.g., a laptop or other computer system having an expendable power supply, consistent operational powering of the hard disk drive(s) is known to consume a substantial portion of the available power.